Refining of petroleum oils



Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES.

PATENT orrlca means 0. 1:03am, or cnIcAoo, ILLINOIS, nss ronon r0 UNIVERSAL on. rnonucrs comranr, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. conronarrou or soon! DAKOTA nnrmmo or mnommn OILS N 0 Drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in refining of petroleum. 011s, and refers more particularly to the subjection of the lighter bodies to produce substantially water-white I odorless products suitable for commercial As a specific embodiment of the present in-' particularly upon what is known as cracked distillate, may be such that while the concentrated sulphuric acid exerts a refining efiect in removing undesirable substances, it may also react at the same time with some of the undesirable substances present in the cracked distillate in such manner that its refining action in part'is neutralized. For this reason it has been found desirable in certain instances to subject such oil previous to the ap plication of sulphuric acid, to the action of the acid salts of sulphuric acid for the purpose :of removing those substances which as described above, when acted upon subsequently with concentrated sulphuric acid,

, reduce undesirable compounds remaining in the oil, causing the partially refined oil to become unstable with respect to color and odor.

It has been. found that this treatment with the'acid salts of sulphuric acid or acid sulphat/es in aqueous solution, has a softening or ameliorating 'efiect upon the subsequent treatment with concentrated sul huric acid. By the term acid sulphate it is 0 course, understood that I refer to the salts of sul- Applicatiou filed December 9, 1825. Serial No. 74,384.

phurie acid which contain hydrogen in their composition. I

The acid sulphates may be used as refining agents in combination with concentrated sulphuric acid, or the acid sulphates may be used in an combination with any of the well known re ning agents now utilized such as alkali, plumbite (litharge dissolved in sodium hydroxide), copper salts, earthy adsorbents and the like. I do not of course, wish to limit myself to anyparticular order or succession of treatment as the refining agents may be" used in any order which will produce the most satisfactory results, to be determined by the skilled operator; The oil may be subjected to water washing subsequent to being subjected to the action of the various refining agents described.

To determine the advisability of subjecting the oil to the action of other refining agents, the skilled operator will carry out tests for the purpose of determining this factor based upon the character of the oil being treated, and the commercial require- -ments.

- The above refining treatment is particularly adapted to the treatment of lighter gravity products of petroleum distillation or cracking, which requires no further distillation such for instance, as those products having an end boiling point conforming to commercial requirements, and which are produced directly from the cracking process, although of course, the refining treatment is not limited to that articular field, but includes the treating 0 any overhead products which require treatment.

I claim as my invention:

1. A step is a ,(p'rocess for refiningthe light.- er gravity liqui distillation or cracking of petroleum oils, comprising subjecting said lighter gravit liquid products to the action of an acid su phate in aqueous solution.

2. Steps in a process for refining the lightor gravity liquid products obtained from the crach'ng of petroleum oils, comprising separately subjecting said lighter gravity liquid products to the action of an acid sulphate in aqueous solution, and sulphuric acid.

products obtained from the 2 v mesma -3. Steps in a process for refining the lighter gravity liquid products obtained from'the cracking of petroleum oils, comprising separaltely subjecting said lighter gravity liquid products to the action of copv per salt inaqueous solution, and an acid sul-' phate in aqueous solution.

4. Steps in a rocess for refining the lighter gravity liquid products obtained from the cracking of petroleum oils, comprising separately subjecting said lighter gravity liquid products to the action of copper salt in aqueous solution, an acid sulphate aqueous in solution and sulphuric acid v15 JACQUE G. MORRELL, 

